The country’s PPP Center says the Philippines has been a role model of Southeast Asian countries in structuring their own framework

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government last week invited Canadian companies to participate in and bid for some of the country’s public-private partnership (PPP) deals.

The country’s PPP projects were pitched to investors in the 3 cities in North America investments road show, which concluded last week. The event, which took place in Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto, was organized by Canada’s Trade Commissioners Service.

The Philippines is the only country that sent a delegation headed by Rina Alzate, director of PPP Center Project Development and Monitoring Facility.

The Dec. 2-Dec. 4 roadshow was participated by several companies such as Canarail, SNC-Lavalin Capital, PSP investments, Dagua, Palmex, OSSIACO Energy and International, Denton’s Canada, Steel Magnolia Investments, EDC, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, and Fasken Martineau, among others.

The PPP Center said in a statement on Tuesday, December 8 that Alzate provided Canadian investors the latest developments and initiatives in the Philippines’ PPP thrust.

“We have improved our PPP processes. We now have a sound legal and regulatory framework,” she said.

Alzate also showcased the various PPP infrastructure projects available in the country for investment.

“We are currently bidding out 13 projects and two are set for tender. There are also 6 projects that are up for approval of relevant government bodies,” Alzate told the Canadian investors.

She said the investors from the Philippines and other countries have participated in the bidding of these projects.

“Our PPP projects are consistently on the radar of international and local investors,” Alzate said.

“In fact, one of our projects, the P17.52-billion ($387.40-million) Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal Building, which now has improvements and upgrades underway, was won by a consortium of a local and foreign company, Megawide Construction Corporation and GMR Infrastructure,” she added.

Canadian companies offered a range of business opportunities during the roadshow.

Should the Canadian investors decide to participate in any PPP deal, they can act as a preparation/technical consultant, transaction advisor, probity advisor, independent consultant/engineer, lender, concessionaire, operator or contractor.

Alzate said the roadshow also highlighted the significant contribution and role of the Philippines in the establishment of other Southeast Asian nations’ PPP program as mentioned by Asian Development Bank (ADB) Principal Private Sector Development Specialist Madeleine Varkay.

“The Philippines has been a role a model of Southeast Asian countries in structuring their own PPP framework,” Varkay said.

Countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Bhutan, Tonga, and Spain have visited the Philippines’ PPP Center to solicit knowledge and information on how the country implemented its own PPP Program. — Rappler.com

08 December 2015
By Chrisee Dela Paz